Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-18
BALD KNOBBERS.
An Organization in Mis- Dufi Enjoyed
ia Dealing out Death After toe
KukluX Fashion.
The Leaders of the Gang Under Arrest-A
Baptist Minister and Several of His
Flock Among the Number.

ST. LOUIS, Mo, March 17.-Dispatches
from Ozark, Mo, say that eleven more
members of the Bald KnO5bers organiZa
ton were arrested and brought there yes
terdaY, making nineteen in all now under
arrest and in confinement. These per-
sons are believed to include the leading
spirits Of the gang, and also q majority
Of the masked band concerned in the
murder Of William Eden and Charles
Green last Friday night. Dave Walker,
the leader, or commandments as he
is called, of the Bald Knobbers, is mar
ried man and a member Of the Baptist
church. Among those arrested are G. o.
Simmons, a Baptist preacher, and Joseph
HYDE and William Abbott, members of
me Baptist church. The other per
sons are generally farmers,
II st of them married, rang
Iiag IN age from nineteen to tIty-four
years. Joseph Irman, one of the arrested
men, made q confession Yesterday after
noon, giving much information to the eu-
! thorities regarding the organization and
telling how the killing Of Green
/ and Eden came about. He said
that last Friday night some thirty
or forty members Of the Bald Knob COM
pany, to which he had belonged, were
called together by Dave Walker, its
chief, to go down to Sand creek and pour
out some Illicit whisky which was being
sold by Bill Roberts Some Of the gang
were mounted and some on foot, and as
the road was bad and the distance four
miles, Chief Walker told the unmOunted
men that they could go home and that he
and those who had horses would look al
ter Roberts whisky. When the party got
near Eden's house some of the young
men proposed to 60 there and shave
some fun" They started for the house
headed by William Walker, son of Chief
Walker. The latter called them back
and tried to persuade them not to go, but
they gave no heed to either advice or
command, and went to Eden's house,
where they smashedin the doors and win
doWs and killed young Eden and Green,
William Walker was one OF those shot II
the assault and left his shotgun and mask
in Eden'S yard. He was carried home by
his father and is now believed TO be coz
cealed il the woods. He is said to be Sc
riously wounded, having received a bal
in the groin, supposed TO have been fired
by the elder Eden when his doors were
broken down. Inman did not go tC
Eden's house and did not know that any
body had been killed, but he heard the
firing and thought some one Of the family
had been hurt.
/ AS soon as this confession was made
| Sheriff Johnson handcuffed the men most
seriously eliminated by Inman, and they
were greatly overcome when they hearC
that Inman had confessed. The preacher
Simmons, was one of those who attacked
Eden's house. A strong guard ha:
been placed over the prisoners, as
it is Rpprehended the Bald Knobbers
will rally in force and attempt to rescue
them Inman has been sent to the Spring
field Jail at his own urgent request, ht
being IN mortal terror of being IynChed
He says he joined fhe organization undel
protest, being forced at the muzzIe of {
shotgun wi a rope around his n OK t
swear allegiance to the deadly fraternity
He has had no sympathy with the band
and has attended their meetings only be
cause he WAS afraid to refuse to do so. l
is believed by good citizens of the count!
that the arrest of these men and thei
trial will break up the organization, anC
every effort will be made to that end.